Phil Foden wins second successive PFA Young Player of the Year award
Manchester City forward Phil Foden has been named 2021/22’s PFA Young Player of the Year, beating a cohort of English candidates.
The precocious City star played a key role as Pep Guardiola’s men sealed the Premier League title — the fourth of his still fledgling career — as he scored nine goals and registered five assists across 29 appearances.
Phil Foden has now won more Premier League titles (4) than:
🏆🏆🏆 Frank Lampard
🏆🏆🏆 Cristiano Ronaldo
🏆🏆🏆 Patrick Vieira
🏆🏆🏆 Yaya TouréHe turns 22 years old next week. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/mPZEg7PVNy
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 22, 2022
Having already secured the Premier League Young Player of the Season award for the second year in a row, he has now added a successive PFA Young Player of the Year gong to enhance his personal trophy cabinet even further.
Foden was joined on the initial shortlist by Chelsea wing-back Reece James, as well as Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, Conor Gallagher of Crystal Palace (on loan from Chelsea) and Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, making it an all-English cast.
Saka was certainly in with a shout. Among English players in the Premier League, only Harry Kane (26), Jarrod Bowen (22), Mason Mount (21) and James Maddison (20) had a direct hand in more goals than Saka (18), who struck 11 times and registered a further seven assists, enough to make him Arsenal’s top scorer for the campaign.
In fact, just two players notched double digits in the Premier League for the Gunners in 2021/22, with Smith Rowe joining Saka in that department, as the elegant playmaker racked up an impressive 10-goal haul, while he also picked up his first caps for England back in autumn.
Conor Gallagher had a real breakthrough season at Crystal Palace as he forced his way into the England team and scooped the club’s Player of the Year award, scoring eight goals in the Premier League and helping the Eagles reach the FA Cup semi-final.
Aston Villa’s Ramsey was also in contention. The midfielder was a consistent fixture in Steven Gerrard’s first team this campaign, racking up 34 appearances in the Premier League, where he managed to bag six goals for the club and earn a call up to England U21s.
